Two months after the fall of Hydra.

Running had become her new obsession. Both the choking burn in her lungs and the dull ache in her muscles provided a welcome relief from the turmoil that was becoming near constant in her mind. Elizabeth had never considered herself to be neurotic or even nervous, but lately she seemed absolutely incompetent at controlling her emotions.

Elizabeth was constantly worried for Steve, having not seen him in two months – the longest separation since their reunion. Of course they had spoken on the phone but Elizabeth's now neurotic mind was becoming increasing concerned over his well-being. Most of her concern revolved around the idea that Bucky would eventually decide that he wanted to kill them after-all and seek Steve out. A level of guilt was always skulking at the back of her mind as she was still constantly arguing with herself over how honest she should really be with Tony. The answer was becoming far clearer in her mind, she knew what she had to do, but every moment she came close to telling him her anxiety kicked into high gear. Constant fear was also plaguing her, even a loud and unexpected noise could make her heart race and skin sweat - but she couldn't understand why. What was she so afraid of?

And underneath it all, was the constant, steady sadness.

At least when she was running she could clear her cluttered mind a little and concentrate on nothing but placing one foot before the other. Unfortunately, as she took her first step into the cavernous lobby of Stark tower she could feel the nerves and anxieties coiling in her stomach.

"Miss Boscoe?" A surprisingly short woman came tottering towards her, clearly unbalanced in her heels.

Confused and automatically cautious, Elizabeth regarded her with a look of clear uncertainty. "Yeah?" When the woman stepped towards her, Elizabeth took a small, subtle step back.

The woman's auburn hair looked frazzled as it seemed to spontaneously escape from her tight bun. "Mr Stark's been trying to reach you." She seemed even breathless as she explained herself, "for almost…" she glanced down at her watch then, "an hour and a half!" Her stress levels had clearly skyrocketed at this specific realization.

"Why?" Elizabeth asked, with a faked calmness that she hoped would soothe the woman.

The woman's emerald eyes flickered nervously around but she looked at nothing in particular. After a heaving sigh, the woman's shoulders drooped immensely before she seemed to give up on this interaction entirely. "Look, could you just go up?"

A little taken aback by the sudden dismissal, Elizabeth almost bit out an aggravated response but the woman was already ignoring her in favor of speaking almost anxiously down the phone. "Mr Stark?" There was a pause as she attempted to smooth down her frazzled hair. "Yes, Miss Boscoe is here with me now." A clammy hand appeared upon Elizabeth's arm and the woman began steering her towards the elevators - Elizabeth worked very hard to not automatically push the woman away. "Yes Sir." Barely even glancing to Elizabeth, the woman erratically gestured for her to enter the elevator. Eyeing the confining walls warily, she stepped inside and forced a long breath through her nose.

Luckily, Tony's elevators were lightning fast and she wasn't confined for long before the doors reopened before her. Hastily stepping free from the small elevator, Elizabeth's eyebrows pulled together as she found Tony sat beside a broad man in a dark suit.

At her appearance, Tony jumped up from his seat and practically ran towards her. "Liz!" He exclaimed with exaggerated excitement. "You're here…" His hands came to rest on her shoulders as he regarded her with what seemed to be worry. Elizabeth's eyes almost automatically flickered over Tony's shoulder. With slicked back blonde hair and apple green eyes, the man was pinning her with an almost threatening gaze.

Noting her diverted attention, Tony quickly worked to refocus her. "Jeez Liz," he scrunched his nose up then – shooting her a look of mock disgust, "you need a shower."

Ignoring the jibe, Elizabeth glanced back to the seated figure in the room. "Who's that?" Elizabeth held the distinct impression that the answer to her question was not going to be good. At his lack of response, she lowered her tone and regarded him. "Tony?"

The corners of his lips twitched just slightly as his eyes darted away for just a moment. When his gaze returned to her she could detect the smallest outpouring of sympathy and instantly felt her gut twist into fear. Panicked, she almost demanded to know what was going on but a cutting voice interrupted her.

"Miss Boscoe," he had stood and was absently smoothing down his jacket, "come and have a seat." Glancing to Tony, who seemed resigned to whatever was about to happen, Elizabeth complied.

As she sat, her hands uselessly came to rest upon her lap and she nervously picked at her nails. Shooting her an almost condescending smile, as though she were a small child, the man sat across from her. The way he lounged implied that he was entirely comfortable in the situation – a sharp contrast to the rigidity with which Elizabeth sat.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Elizabeth." He didn't extend a hand for her to shake.

"Who are you?" Her anxiety and uncertainty morphed her tone into something a little too confrontational.

His only reaction to the aggression was a small smirk, as though he had been expecting such behaviour. "I work for the government Elizabeth," she really wished he would stop using her full name, "I've been assigned to your case."

Eyebrows shooting up, she responded almost indignantly. "My case?"

The small laugh he gave at her confused and angered response was incredibly aggravating. "Elizabeth, as you know, with the fall of Shield came the release of classified documents."

Feeling her annoyance raise monumentally at what she assumed he was telling her, she quickly sat forward with crossed arms. "What? I'm in trouble for dismantling Hydra?"

If he shot her one more condescending smile she swore she might attack him. He chose to ignore her question, choosing instead to explain the situation as slowly as possible. "Those documents weren't just from Shield." Suddenly, her blood felt as though it ran cold as she began to piece together what he was really telling her. "You see, Hydra's files were released as well. In an effort to better the security of the nation we have been examining these files."

"Who's we?" She asked quietly, almost afraid to raise her voice at this point.

He didn't grace her with a reply – she had expected as much. "And, it seems, we've uncovered some rather interesting things about you." She should have known this would happen – she should have run away before it could.

Silence coated the room and Elizabeth wasn't certain as to whether she was supposed to reply or not – either way, she doubted she would be able to give a response. A sudden dip in the seat indicated that Tony had taken a seat beside her, his hands were clasped before him as he shot a cursory glance to the man before them. "What can we do?" Her hands had begun to desperately grip the fabric of the sofa in a telling show of anxiety and she knew it was for the best that Tony did the talking.

"Well, the allegations against Elizabeth are numerous." Almost carelessly, he began listing the accusations against her, counting them off on his fingers. "Threatening both national and international security, torture, brainwashing, manslaughter… I would advise a good lawyer, Mr Stark."

He didn't say anything more as he stood and smoothed out his suit once more – he was more than pleased with himself, it was clear to see in his eyes. Tony was watching the man with his mouth agape, clearly taken aback by the man's abrupt suggestion and departure. Elizabeth could barely see the point in his visit, surely this information could have been told to her over the phone or even a letter - any method that didn't involve meeting this man. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon, Miss Boscoe." She didn't glance to him, instead she continued to listlessly stare at a darkened spot in the soft blue carpet. "Mr Stark." The fact that Tony didn't stand or walk him out served to show exactly what he was feeling.

When the silence finally reached a deafening level, Elizabeth spoke – with a pitiful, broken little voice. "What's happening?"

"Lizzy." His hand pulled hers from where it was gripping the sofa, "it's gonna be okay." How he could tell her that with such conviction, she didn't know. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "I happen to have the best lawyer in the country on speed-dial." Glancing to him with wide, shining eyes, Elizabeth watched as he waved his phone before her. "And," he began, attempting to lighten the mood somehow, "she just happens to be in the elevator right now."

That statement did bring some surprise forth within her, breaking her free from her complete fear and uncertainty somewhat. Seeing the surprised raise of her eyebrows, he quickly answered her silent question. "I like to be prepared." In response to her half-hearted snort of derision, he rolled his eyes. "Okay, sometimes I like to be prepared."

The ding of the elevator punctuated his words and a short, stout woman quickly walked out. "Good afternoon, Mr Stark." Her voice was sharp and nuanced – it rang through the air almost effortlessly.

Tony stood quickly and Elizabeth slowly rose beside him. "Ah Sarah," Tony began, his arms raising as though expecting an embrace, "how long has it been this time, huh? A year? Two?"

Ignoring his outstretched arms, the woman walked past Tony and placed her heavy briefcase upon the armchair. "It's been two months, Mr Stark," The lady then turned in her spot and regarded Elizabeth with a critical eye. "Miss Boscoe," Elizabeth tentatively accepted her outstretched hand, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Yeah… you too?" Elizabeth wouldn't call this situation a pleasure but the woman seemed nice enough – if just a little uptight.

A smile appeared upon her face then, "my name is Sarah Burton. I'm your new lawyer."

"Uhh." She was a little lost for words, having never had a lawyer before, and she looked to Tony who merely nodded encouragingly. "Thanks…"

Sarah seemed to find her uncertainty a little amusing and proceeded to shoot her a warm smile. "Well," she began, turning back to her abandoned briefcase, "I've been reviewing your files over the last few hours, Miss Boscoe, and I have a few questions I'd like to ask."

Growing agitated once more, Elizabeth glanced to Tony – she desperately hoped he would leave but she didn't have the heart to ask him to. Her heart sank a little when he resolutely took a seat and indicated for her to follow suit.

"Right." Sarah had secured a fancy looking pen alongside a thick pad of glossy paper. "For this to work, Elizabeth, I will need your full cooperation and disclosure." Elizabeth was beginning to have severe doubts over whether she could really talk about all this – she hoped the questions wouldn't be too intrusive but she knew she wouldn't be that lucky. She nodded distantly.

"Right," she began, already jotting notes down, "let's start simple shall we? How long were you contained at Hydra?"

Folding her arms over her chest, feeling extremely vulnerable all of a sudden, Elizabeth went to reply. "Well –" She was immediately cut off, however by Sarah's specification.

"Exact dates would be preferred."

Elizabeth paused, eyeing her fingernails. "I think it was May of 1947 to 1980."

Sarah hummed in acknowledgement as she hastily scribbled notes. "So you were contained at Hydra throughout the Cold War." Sarah muttered the words to herself but she was clearly distinctly displeased by them. Elizabeth couldn't understand how she could write so many notes considering she had only been provided with two dates as of yet. "Do you remember the month in 1980, Elizabeth?"

She gave a small, almost unnoticeable, shake of her head in response. "Liz?" Wide eyed and surprised, Elizabeth turned her attention to Tony. "I thought you escaped in 1984?" Biting her lip, she shook her head once more.

"Not from Hydra." Elizabeth tried not to pay too much attention to the endless scribbles of the woman before her.

"And where were you for those four years?" Sarah's earnest expression should have been relaxing – she seemed so very calm and open to everything she was being told – but Elizabeth felt her limbs beginning to shake as a dangerous mix of anxiety, aggravation and panic began to spread through her.

"Not Hydra." Elizabeth didn't think it mattered and thus attempted to keep her answer as non-specific as possible.

Sarah's lips twisted slightly, clearly showing her dissatisfaction with that dubious response. "We'll come back to that." Please don't, Elizabeth almost automatically spoke this thought out loud but was somehow successful in keeping her lips pressed together. "Did you encounter any Soviet officials throughout this time period?"

Determined to keep her answers as non-descript as possible, wherever possible, Elizabeth gave a nod and nothing more. If Sarah was growing aggravated with Elizabeth's general lack of response, she did a fantastic job at concealing it – the only visible expression upon her features was one of genuine concern and slight curiosity.

"Now Elizabeth," Sarah had finally stopped with her copious amount of writing and was focusing solely on Elizabeth, watching her with a wary gaze. "I understand that this particular question may be difficult, but the answer is extremely important. I'm fairly certain the opposition will focus their case on this subject and we need to prepare our response."

When Elizabeth remained silent, her lips pressing together resolutely, Sarah spoke once more. "I wasn't going to ask so soon but… I think it's important you comprehend the things they will throw at you, Elizabeth."

There was a sharp moment of peaceful silence before she so unceremoniously broke it.

"Did you play any part in the brainwashing of James Barnes?"

Her arms dropped from where they were secured protectively around her torso as she struggled to understand the connotations behind her question. From the corner of her eye she noted that Tony had tensed considerably, likely not having expected such a question to come up so quickly, and sharply turned to face her – eagerly awaiting her response it seemed.

"Elizabeth?" Sarah was pushing her to answer but Elizabeth didn't think she could.

"This is…" Elizabeth couldn't find strong enough words to explain what this was; awful, intrusive, emotional torture. "I…" Almost without directly choosing to, she rose from her seat - the movements lacking any grace or poise. All the negative, almost corrosive, feelings that had been slowly building within her for almost two months seemed as though they had finally spilled over – like some acid eating rapidly through any logic or reason she still possessed. "I can't do this right now." Her words were spoken quickly, almost jumbled together in her haste to get them out.

She didn't hear them call after her as she hurried to the elevator and stumbled inside, she didn't feel the usual, barely concealed, panic over the confined space of the elevator and she barely even noted the sick feeling in her stomach. Her head felt as though it were spinning – as though she were drunk – and it took her more than one attempt to press the right button.

People stopped and stared as she sprinted past them carelessly – whether they recognized her or were merely just intrigued by the desperate way she ran, Elizabeth couldn't be sure.

Running away, she knew, was a mistake. Elizabeth didn't care.

She only stopped running when her legs almost gave out beneath her – squeezing her eyes shut and forcing herself not to scream in pure frustration, Elizabeth merely stood for a long few moments. When she finally opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings with tired eyes, she noticed that she was surrounded by greenery. Trees and flowers littered the scene before her, the bright colors seemed to be mocking her darkening mood and Elizabeth wished she could blow them all away.

Rain was pelting her skin, chilling her to the bone and making her sodden clothes cling to her. Wet hair seemed stuck to her face and she knew her long tendrils would be immeasurably tangled but she just didn't care. There were few people surrounding her, the weather likely putting off the crowds, and Elizabeth barely took notice of the figures around her.

Slowly, unaffected by the heavy rain, Elizabeth made her way to the tree closest to her. The trunk was thick and rough as she absently grazed her fingertips against the bark and the canopy of browning leaves above provided her some rudimental protection from the downpour. Resting her back against the trunk, Elizabeth settled into a seated position and stared unseeingly forwards for a long stretched out moment.

Elizabeth held the distinct opinion that she couldn't do this anymore. Everything had caught up with her all of a sudden, unexpectedly and devastatingly and she really didn't feel as though she could deal with any of it. She didn't want to be forced to defend her actions at Hydra, she didn't want to be forced to answer questions that inspired such bad memories and she certainly didn't want to be forced to answer questions about Bucky.

All Elizabeth had ever wanted was to be happy and it now felt like such an unachievable goal.

The necklace she wore felt suddenly heavy around her neck, the sudden weight of it pulling her down – keeping her sluggish and endlessly sad. With fumbling, numb fingers she unclasped it and allowed her engagement ring to slide from the chain and into the palm of her outstretched hand.

It looked just the same as it always had, untarnished and relatively unworn. Her thumb stroked over the silver metal of the band as she considered the ring absently, her mind entirely blank but unbelievably full all at once. Almost experimentally, she tilted her hand just slightly and the ring slid from her clammy hands onto the muddied and wet ground – its shining silver looked in such sharp contrast to the dull colors of the ground that it seemed almost artful.

A large and sullen part of her considered leaving it there, nestled amongst the mud and grass, as she walked away. Use it as a symbol of letting go, leaving her past behind her and moving on entirely – no one would blame her. If only, she thought wistfully. She had never before been able to let it go, her past, and she knew that the circumstances of the now would make it even more difficult. Even now, she didn't want to let it go.

As she picked the ring back up and held it tightly in her hand, Elizabeth suddenly just knew that she wouldn't ever be able to leave it behind.

A sudden shrill noise startled her and she looked sharply upwards, expecting danger almost automatically. Nothing had changed of her surroundings, two figures still remained – one still attempting to coerce their dog into walking and the other loitering near a street lamp, looking entirely suspicious.

Elizabeth didn't pay much more attention to them, however, as she soon realized that the sound was emanating from her pocket. Pulling her phone to her ear, without even checking to see who was calling, Elizabeth began internally berating herself for running away in the first place. When did she start acting like such a child? "Yeah?"

"Liz, you okay?" He didn't sound angry, she supposed that was a good sign.

"I'm fine, Tony. I'm sorry… I just… freaked out I guess." Her voice sounded horribly timid even to her own ears.

"Don't apologize to me, its Sarah you gotta worry about," Elizabeth heard a female protest from the line then, "she is pissed, Liz." Elizabeth was already rolling her eyes, knowing Tony well enough to know when he was joking - even just from the subtle tone of his voice.

"Anyway, where are you? I'll come get you." Her lips almost instantly pulled up at that, immeasurably pleased she wasn't going to be forced to make her way back in the pouring rain.

"Err…" She gave a subtle glance around as she attempted to assess where she had ended up. "Central Park? I think?"

An audible and sarcastic tutting sounded over the line then, before he spoke with exaggerated exasperation. "You think?" She gave a small, tight laugh and it felt good; although it sounded undeniably strained it was genuine and Elizabeth realized just how much she valued Tony's friendship. "I'll track your phone, Liz." There was a pause then and she wasn't sure what to say. "See ya."

The phone dinged then to signify the end of the call and Elizabeth shoved it quickly back in her pocket. She felt such a stark thankfulness for Tony all of a sudden that it was a little overwhelming. It was as though she were just now realizing just how much he had done for her over the years. Whilst she had, of course, supported him entirely through the death of his parents and had helped in whatever way she could, the things he had done for her felt as though they far outweighed her contributions.

Even just thinking of today Elizabeth felt flawed by everything he had done. With an hour or so's preparation he had secured her 'the best lawyer in the country' – who seemed to already be familiar with her files and background. The fact that he had simply stood by her was almost incredible - in a society where reputation meant everything, aligning oneself with someone accused of everything she was being accused of was a huge risk – and yet, Tony was taking it almost thoughtlessly.

He really did deserve better from her. She had to tell him the truth – she certainly owed it to him.

Underneath the towering tree, sat in the pouring rain, Elizabeth resolutely decided that she would tell him the truth.


"What are you talking about, Tony?" Just when Steve felt as though he was returning to at least some small sense of normalcy, Tony Stark had to call and inform him of yet another obstacle for him to struggle over. Steve was growing tired of it all.

"Misdirection." Tony had always had a way of explaining his points in some dramatic way, Steve thought. "Think about it, Steve," the sharpening tone of his voice clearly indicated how negative Tony was feeling, "people are asking questions about Hydra - how it slipped through the cracks, how nobody knew…"

Steve felt his eyebrows pull together – struggling to understand. "What does that have to do with Lizzy?"

A heaving sigh sounded then. "Misdirection, Steve. If people are asking questions about Lizzy-"

"-the whole mess with Hydra can be swept under the carpet." Pinching the bridge of his nose he felt as though an intense weight was resting on his shoulders – pinning him to the spot and making him powerless. Enemies that physically attacked were ones that he could deal with - he could kick and punch his way out of almost anything - but this... this left him feeling almost useless. How could he defend her against this? "Can I talk to her?"

"Ah," Tony hesitated slightly, "she kinda ran off…"

Eyes widening and mind panicking, Steve instantly replied. "What?! Tony where is she?"

"Jeez, relax Steve." This didn't feel like a situation where anyone would be able to simply relax. "I'm going to get her now."

"Where is she?" He asked with less urgency, but he still felt immeasurably determined to find out the answer.

"Oh, you know Liz, she got a little overwhelmed and ran off." To Steve, it seemed as though Tony were purposefully attempting to sound blasé, as though he weren't worried in the slightest.

"Is she okay?" His heart was hammering in his chest as he began to fear the worst almost automatically.

"She's fine," his tone suggested agitation with Steve's questioning, but it was clearly faked to cover his own worry, "I just talked to her."

Glancing towards the door leading to Elizabeth's room, he felt a strange tugging at his chest – he missed her. "Should I…" Hesitating, he glanced now to the wooden panels that shoddily covered the window. "Should I come see her?"

He expected Tony to snort derisively and tell him that Elizabeth would be fine without him. He expected to be mocked and told that he worried far too much. What he didn't expect was a heavy pause before Tony sighed and told him; "maybe…" Steve suddenly realized how dire this situation must be. "This isn't gonna be easy for her, Steve. Most of what they wanna charge her with is... true." The fact that it was Tony telling him this somehow made the revelation even worse – he was too used to Tony's almost careless attitude towards every situation.

He felt like breaking something – everything seemed so dramatically unfair. "Okay Tony."


Wow am I late! Hopefully the length of this kinda makes up for it a little! Hopefully the next chapter will be up by Tuesday but considering how late this is just know that it will be at some point next week!

Shoutout to Yarhissa and Jag for your awesome reviews! I just wanna say Yarhissa - I sorta came to the same epiphany about Tony through writing that chapter and I'm so glad that I made you like him again!

Again, I'd love to get at least three reviews for this chapter but I'll upload despite the amount I get! But still, please please drop me a review of your thoughts, questions and theories!

Thanks for reading!